Full FDA Approval For Pfizer Booster Vaccines Could Come Within A Week

The FDA announced this morning that they are "backing" the use of the Pfizer booster COVID-19 vaccines for senior citizens and anyone else at high risk of contracting the virus.

The boosters will be eligible to those who are 65 and older, younger people with underlying health conditions and those in jobs that put them at high-risk for COVID-19.

Acting Commissioner of the FDA, Janet Woodcock, said in a statement that the FDA authorization would allow for boosters in health care workers, teachers, grocery workers and those in homeless shelters or prisons.

As we learn more about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, including the use of a booster dose, we will continue to evaluate the rapidly changing science and keep the public informed.

Wednesday was the beginning of meetings taking place within the FDA to break down the authorization to determine who would be eligible for boosters. According to CNY Central, so many questions came up during the meeting that the group considered putting off the authorization decision for another month in hopes of having more answers with evidence.

Although challenging, most of the committee agreed on who would be eligible to receive the booster shot from Pfizer. And we could see full FDA approval within the next upcoming week.

U.S. regulators will decide at a later date on boosters for people who have received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. If Pfizer boosters are authorized this week, U.S. regulators indicated the shots would not be recommended for people who got a different brand of vaccine initially.

The U.S. has already authorized third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for certain people with weakened immune systems, like cancer patients and transplant recipients. Other Americans, healthy or not, have managed to get boosters just by asking.